I had a 5th grade girl in the recording studio last week, and like me, she is a tiny little thing. We had lowered the microphone to its shortest possible level and she was still straining her neck to have a straight shot at the mic. Not a good position to lay some vocals. I quickly looked around the room for anything she could stand on. A chair would be too high. I didn’t want her to sit on a stool. And then the answer hit: “Peyton… would you be willing to stand in my shoes?”
My wedge heels were the perfect height to raise her up. I took a picture of her singing in my shoes. It was pretty neat. But the more I thought about it, I realized that there was a deeper meaning. As she sang, I began to pray “Lord, let her voice be strong like mine as she grows. Let her heart be turned toward ministry. Let her see my example and walk in Your ways.”
In children’s ministry, God gives us tiny little hearts to mold. Tiny little beginnings to turn into big futures. Tiny little talents to develop into huge gifts for the kingdom. I am always looking ahead, trying to discern where God may be leading each child I have the opportunity to work with individually.
There is a young man whom I “discovered” from the thousands of kids in Vacation Bible School one year. He was not involved in our Kids Choir program. But in the midst of the congregation that week, his enthusiasm and passion kept drawing my eyes. I convinced him to try Kids Choir that fall. Now he has recorded with us on two Kids Choir CDs and is continuing his worship leading with our new middle school choir, Ignite. Andrew says that his goal is to “take over Ray Jones’ job” one day. Makes me laugh, but I don’t doubt for one second that God will indeed use him in ministry in a big way. Just last week, I called his mom to see if I could try his little brother Matthew in the studio. I needed a young voice and had never recorded a five year old before. She said “Well I’m glad you didn’t talk to Andrew first. He has already been working with Zoe on that song.” She’s three. Andrew has already taken upon himself the task of leading and teaching others. He walks in our shoes.
Our new middle school choir led worship a few weeks ago and I was moved to almost wracking sobs, overwhelmed by the Spirit of the Lord in the room. As the dancers made the lyrics of a great worship song spring to life, I marveled that every single one of the girls grew up in Kids Choir, every single one was prepared to a professional level because they had been led by a masterful dance teacher whose heart of worship is evidenced through the choreography she creates. They dance in Phaedra’s shoes.
Our youth choir Puresound will lead worship this weekend. They are led by a young woman who grew up at CBC, that sang in Kids Choirs and the Youth Choir that I led, that I taught voice and piano to for six years. She walks in my shoes.
Thank you Lord for this awesome privilege! Thank you for the Peytons and the Andrews and the Kristens that you give us to mold. Help all of us see that our lives are the textbook they are reading, and help us to follow consistently and passionately after you.
“Step by step You lead me, and I will follow You all of my days”
Rich Mullins
CBC Music 